SpaceX NASDAQ:SPCX, Elon Musk's rocket, satellite, and artificial intelligence company, is facing mounting pressure as its stock trades near the $135 per-share price set in its initial public offering. Short sellers have generated approximately $3.88 billion in paper profits, according to data compiled by S3 Partners, after the shares fell as low as $132.15 and moved toward a fourth consecutive session of losses. The stock has also slipped below its IPO price for the first time, while bearish investors have continued increasing their positions as enthusiasm surrounding the newly public company appears to weaken.
S3 Partners data show that roughly 181 million SpaceX shares, representing about 28% of the stock available for trading, have been sold short. Ihor Dusaniwsky of S3 Partners said this represents one of the highest short-interest levels recorded by a newly listed company during its first month of trading. Investors added nearly 37 million shares, valued at approximately $5 billion, to short positions over the past week as the stock continued to decline. SpaceX has now lost about one-third of its value since its June 16 closing high, erasing approximately $860 billion in market capitalization during that period.
Investors are now focusing on the company's 13th Starship test flight, which could take place as soon as Thursday, along with SpaceX's first quarterly earnings report, which may be released in the coming weeks. The earnings report is expected to allow certain shareholders to sell their stock for the first time, beginning a period during which millions of additional shares could become available for trading. Dusaniwsky noted that the recent share-price weakness and expectations surrounding upcoming lockup expirations have contributed to increased short selling. These developments could keep SpaceX shares volatile as investors assess the rocket launch, the company's financial results, and the potential increase in tradable stock.